Sealed substrate carriers and systems and methods for transporting substrates

ABSTRACT

A semiconductor processing system includes a first component and a second component. The first component forms a first chamber with a first sealed environment at a first state within the first chamber. The second component is coupled to the first component. The second component forms a second chamber with a second sealed environment at a second state within the second chamber. A third component is to change the first state of the first sealed environment within the first chamber to cause the first state to be substantially similar to the second state of the second sealed environment within the second chamber. The second sealed environment is at the second state prior to changing of the first state of the first sealed environment to be substantially similar to the second state.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/871,855, filed Jan. 15, 2018, which is adivisional of, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/503,859, filed Oct.1, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,905,447, which is a divisional of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 12/257,376, filed Oct. 23, 2008, now U.S.Pat. No. 8,870,512, which claims benefit of U.S. Provisional ApplicationNo. 60/983,186, filed Oct. 27, 2007, all of which are incorporated byreference herein.

FIELD

The present invention relates to electronic device manufacturing andmore particularly to sealed substrate carriers and methods of using thesame.

BACKGROUND

Manufacturing of electronic devices typically involves performing asequence of procedures with respect to a substrate such as a siliconsubstrate, a glass plate, a polymer substrate, etc. (Such substrates mayalso be referred to as wafers, whether patterned or unpatterned.) Thesesteps may include polishing, deposition, etching, photolithography, heattreatment, and so forth. Usually a number of different processing stepsmay be performed in a single processing system or “tool” which includesa plurality of processing chambers. However, it is generally the casethat other processes may be required to be required to be performed atother processing locations within a fabrication facility, and it isaccordingly necessary that substrates be transported within thefabrication facility from one processing location to another. Dependingupon the type of electronic device to be manufactured, there may be arelatively large number of processing steps required to be performed atmay different processing steps required to be performed at manydifferent processing locations within the fabrication facility.

It is conventional to transport substrates from one processing locationto another within substrate carriers such as pods, cassettes, containersand so forth. It is also conventional to employ automated substratecarrier transport devices, such as automatic guided vehicles, overheadtransport systems, substrate carrier handling robots, etc., to movesubstrate carriers from location to location within the fabricationfacility or to transfer substrate carriers from or to a substratecarrier transport device.

SUMMARY

In a first aspect, an electronic device manufacturing system isprovided. The system includes a processing tool having one or moreprocessing chambers each adapted to perform an electronic devicemanufacturing process on one or more substrates; a substrate carrierhaving a sealed environment, the substrate carrier adapted to couple tothe system and carry one or more substrates; and a component adapted todock with the substrate carrier, the component adapted to create asealed environment relative to at least a portion of the substratecarrier and to substantially equalize the sealed environment at thecomponent with the sealed environment within the substrate carrier.

In another aspect, an electronic device manufacturing system isprovided. The electronic device manufacturing system includes aprocessing tool having a load lock chamber and one or more processingchambers each adapted to perform an electronic device manufacturingprocess on a substrate; a factory interface coupled to the processingtool; and a load port coupled to the factory interface wherein the loadport is adapted to support a substrate carrier containing one or moresubstrates and the factory interface is adapted to transfer substratesfrom the substrate carrier to the load lock chamber of the processingtool wherein the load port is further adapted to create a sealedenvironment relative to at least a portion of the substrate carrier andto substantially equalize the sealed environment with an environmentwithin the substrate carrier.

In yet another aspect, an electronic device manufacturing system isprovided. The electronic device manufacturing system includes aprocessing tool having a load lock chamber and one or more processingchambers each adapted to perform an electronic device manufacturingprocess on a substrate; a factory interface coupled to the processingtool; and a load port coupled to the factory interface wherein the loadport is adapted to support a substrate carrier containing one or moresubstrates and to transfer the substrate carrier to the load lockchamber of the processing tool through the factory interface wherein theload lock chamber is further adapted to create a sealed environmentrelative to at least a portion of the substrate carrier and tosubstantially equalize the sealed environment with an environment withinthe substrate carrier.

In another aspect, a method of transporting substrates within anelectronic device manufacturing system is provided. The method includesproviding a sealed environment in a substrate carrier; creating a sealedenvironment around at least a portion of the substrate carrier at acomponent of the electronic device manufacturing system; andsubstantially equalizing the sealed environment at the component withthe sealed environment of the substrate carrier.

In another aspect, a method of transporting substrates within anelectronic device manufacturing system is provided. The method includesproviding a substrate carrier having a door and a sealed environment;docking the substrate carrier to a component of the electronic devicemanufacturing system; providing a sealed environment around at least aportion of the substrate carrier at the component; and substantiallyequalizing the sealed environments between the component and thesubstrate carrier before opening the door.

In another aspect, a substrate carrier adapted to couple to anelectronic device processing system component and carry one or moresubstrates is provided. The substrate carrier includes a main body; acarrier door coupled to the main body thereby forming an internal cavityadapted to receive the one or more substrates; a resilient sealingmember on at least one of the carrier door and main body forming theseal between the main body and the carrier door; one or more portscoupled to the internal cavity for evacuating and/or adapted to allowfilling the substrate carrier with one of a an inert gas and anon-reactive gas; and a sealing surface provided on the main body andadapted to seal against a corresponding surface feature of theelectronic device processing system component.

Numerous other aspects are provided in accordance with these and otheraspects of the invention. Other features and aspects of the presentinvention will become more fully apparent from the following detaileddescription, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sealed carrier apparatus of thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a sealed carrierapparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of an embodiment of a system interfacing withthe sealed carrier apparatus of the present invention at a factoryinterface.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of an embodiment of a system interfacing withthe sealed carrier apparatus of the present invention at a load lockchamber.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present invention provide sealed substrate carriersand methods for using such sealed substrate carriers. For example, thesealed substrate carriers may be hermetically and/or vacuum sealed toreduce and/or prevent exposure of substrates stored within the substratecarriers to particulates or other contaminants, oxidants, other reactivespecies and/or the like. In some embodiments, a substrate carrier may beevacuated to a suitable vacuum level and/or filled with a suitable inertor otherwise non-reactive gas such nitrogen, argon, etc. prior totransport of the substrate carrier. In this manner, substrates storedwithin the substrate carrier may be transported without being exposed toparticulates, contaminants, oxidants or other undesirable substancesduring transport and/or prior to or after processing.

In some embodiments, various apparatus may be provided for opening,closing, pumping, purging, loading and/or unloading such sealedsubstrate carriers. For example, a system component, such as a load portof a processing tool (e.g., of a factory interface) may be adapted tocreate a sealed environment around all or a portion of a sealedsubstrate carrier (such as a door of the sealed substrate carrier). Thesealed environment at the component then may be substantially“equalized” with the environment in the sealed substrate carrier. Forinstance, in embodiments in which the substrate carrier is evacuated toa predetermined vacuum level after loading with substrates, the sealedenvironment at the component may be considered substantially equalizedif evacuated to a substantially similar vacuum level before a door ofthe substrate carrier is opened. This may be accomplished by one or morepump-purge cycles. By

substantially similar, it is meant that the vacuum level issubstantially the same, but may vary from each other by about 10% orless.

Likewise, in embodiments in which the substrate carrier may contain aninert gas, the sealed environment at the component may be consideredsubstantially equalized when the substrate carrier and the component arefilled with a substantially similar gas, i.e., gases of the same type.The inert gases and/or nonreactive gases may also be provided atsubstantially the same temperature and pressure in the component and thesubstrate carrier before a door of the substrate carrier is opened.However, a temperature of the gases may be up to about 20% different,and the absolute pressure of the substrate carrier gas and the componentgas may be as much as about 10% different.

In the case of an inert gas and non-reactive gas mixtures, the molarpercent of each gas in the mixtures should be substantially the same.However, the molar percentages of the gases may be up to about 5%different.

In other embodiments, the system component may be a load lock chamber ofa processing tool. The load lock chamber may be adapted to create asealed environment around all or a portion of a sealed substrate carrier(such as a door of the sealed substrate carrier). The sealed environmentat the load lock chamber then may be equalized with the environment inthe sealed substrate carrier. For instance, in embodiments in which thesubstrate carrier is evacuated to a predetermined vacuum level afterloading, the sealed environment at the load lock chamber may beevacuated to a similar vacuum level before a door of the substratecarrier is opened. Likewise, in embodiments in which the substratecarrier may contain an inert gas, the sealed environment at the loadlock chamber may be filled with a similar inert gas (e.g., via one ormore pump-purge cycle(s)) before a door of the substrate carrier isopened.

The present invention may be employed with both large lot and small lotsize substrate carriers. As used herein, the term “small lot size”substrate carrier or “small lot” carrier may refer to a carrier that isadapted to hold fewer substrates than a conventional “large lot size”carrier which typically holds thirteen or twenty-five substrates. As anexample, a small lot size carrier may be adapted to hold a maximum oftwelve or fewer substrates. In other examples, a small lot size carriermay be adapted to hold a maximum of five or less substrates. In someembodiments, other small lot size carriers may be employed (e.g., smalllot size carriers that hold a maximum of one, two, three, four or morethan five substrates, but less than that of a large lot size carrier) Ingeneral, each small lot size carrier may hold too few substrates forhuman transport of carriers to be commercially viable within anelectronic device or other manufacturing facility. Consequently,mechanized/automated transport of small lot size carriers is typicallyemployed.

Further details of exemplary embodiments of the present invention aredescribed with reference to FIGS. 1-4 herein.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first exemplary sealable substratecarrier 100 provided in accordance with the present invention. Withreference to FIG. 1 , the carrier 100 may include a carrier door 102coupled to a main body 104 thereby forming an internal cavity adapted toreceive one or more substrates (wafers, glass plates, etc.) The carrierdoor 102 may be selectively removed (opened) to allow access to a cavityinside region of the main body 104 where one or more substrates may bestored. Additionally, the carrier door 102 may be selectively attachedto the main body 104 so as to hermetically seal and/or vacuum seal thedoor 102 against the main body 104. For instance, the carrier door 102and/or main body 104 may include a resilient sealing member 106, such asan o-ring, that may compress and seal the carrier door 102 against asealing surface 108 of the main body 104. Other configurations forsealing the carrier door 102 relative to the main body 104 may beemployed.

The main body 104 may be sized to store one or more substrates therein.In some embodiments, substrate support features such as recessed shelvesor slots may be employed to securely hold each substrate within the mainbody 104. Other supporting, clamping, retaining or similar features maybe employed to secure each substrate within the main body 104.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the main body 104 may include an outer flange 110which may extend outward from the main body 104 in a radial direction.The outer flange 110 may provide a sealing surface 112 for acorresponding surface feature of a system component to which the carrier100 interfaces, such as a load port, load lock chamber or other location(as described below). In some embodiments, the sealing surface 112 mayinclude a resilient sealing member 114 such as an o-ring or a sealintegrally bonded to the surface 112 for creating a substantiallyairtight and/or vacuum seal, while in other embodiments thecorresponding surface feature of a component to which the substratecarrier 100 may dock, such as a load port, load lock chamber or otherlocation, may include a resilient sealing member as described above. Insome embodiments, both surfaces may include a sealing member. While theouter flange 110 is shown in FIG. 1 as being located other than at anend (e.g., in a middle region) of the main body 104, it will beunderstood that the outer flange 110 may be located anywhere along alength of the main body 104. For example, FIG. 2 is a perspective viewof a second exemplary sealable substrate carrier 200 provided inaccordance with the present invention in which the outer flange 110 ispositioned at or near a front of the carrier 200 (e.g., near the carrierdoor 102).

In yet other embodiments, the outer flange 110 may be entirelyeliminated, and a surface feature of a system component to which thesubstrate carrier may dock with (e.g., a load port, load lock chamber orother location) may seal directly against a surface of the carrier 100or 200, such as along a frontal sealing surface 108 of the main body 104or at any other location along the main body 104 such as around aperipheral surface thereof.

Each substrate carrier 100, 200 may include one or more ports 116 forevacuating and/or filling the carrier with a gas such as an inert ornon-reactive gas. The ports may be valves, such as poppet valves, gatevalves, or ball valves, which may be selectively closed after evacuatingand/or filling the substrate carrier 100, 200.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a first exemplary embodiment of anelectronic device manufacturing system 300 provided in accordance withthe present invention. The system 300 may include a processing tool 302having a system component such as a load lock chamber 304 coupled to oneor more processing chambers 306 by a central transfer chamber 308. Eachprocessing chamber 306 may be adapted to perform an electronic devicemanufacturing process on a substrate.

The system 300 may also includes a factory interface 310 coupled to theprocessing tool 302 and one or more load ports 312 coupled to thefactory interface 310. Each load port 312 may be adapted to support asubstrate carrier 100, 200, or another suitable substrate carrier,containing one or more substrates. The factory interface 310 may beadapted to transfer substrates from a substrate carrier 100, 200 to aload lock chamber 304 of the processing tool 302 via a conventionalsubstrate handler or other robot (not shown)

In some embodiments, each component (e.g., load port 312) may be adaptedto create a sealed environment 314 relative to at least a portion of asubstrate carrier 100, 200 and to equalize the sealed environment 314with an environment within the substrate carrier. For example, flange110 of a substrate carrier 100, 200 may provide the sealing surface 112against which a corresponding surface feature 316 of the load port 312may seal. In some embodiments, the sealing surface 112 of a carrier 100,200 may include a resilient sealing member 114, while in otherembodiments the surface feature 316 of a load port 312 may include aresilient sealing member (sealing member not explicitly shown).

In embodiments in which a substrate carrier 100, 200 is evacuated to apredetermined vacuum level after loading of the substrates, the sealedenvironment 314 at a load port 312 may be substantially equalized bybeing evacuated to a similar vacuum level before a door of the substratecarrier is opened. Likewise, in embodiments in which a substrate carrier100, 200 contains an inert gas, the sealed environment 314 at a loadport 312 may be substantially equalized by being filled with a similarinert gas (e.g., via one or more pump-purge cycle(s)) before a carrierdoor 102 (FIG. 1, 2 ) of the substrate carrier 100, 200 is opened.Optionally, in some embodiments, it may be desirable to equalize theenvironment by changing a vacuum level in the carrier 100, 200 to besubstantially equal to a vacuum level that may exist at the sealedenvironment 314.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a second exemplary embodiment of anelectronic device manufacturing system 400 provided in accordance withthe present invention. The system 400 may include a processing tool 402having a one or more load lock chambers 404 coupled to one or moreprocessing chambers 406 by a central transfer chamber 408. Eachprocessing chamber 406 may be adapted to perform an electronic devicemanufacturing process on a substrate.

The system 400 may also include a factory interface 410 coupled to theprocessing tool 402 and one or more load ports 412 coupled to thefactory interface 410. Each load port 412 is adapted to support asubstrate carrier 100, 200, or another suitable substrate carrier,containing one or more substrates. Each load port 412 and/or the factoryinterface 410 may be configured and adapted to transfer a substratecarrier 100, 200 to a system component such as a load lock chamber 404of the processing tool 402 via a docking mechanism, substrate carrierhandler or other mechanism (not shown).

In some embodiments, each component such as a load lock chamber 404 isadapted to create a sealed environment 414 relative to at least aportion of a substrate carrier 100, 200 and to substantially equalizethe sealed environment 414 with an environment within the substratecarrier 100, 200. For example, flange 110 of a substrate carrier 100,200 may provide the sealing surface 112 against which a correspondingsurface feature 416 of the load lock chamber 404 may seal. In someembodiments, the sealing surface 112 of a carrier 100, 200 may include aresilient sealing member 114, while in other embodiments the surfacefeature 416 of a load lock chamber 404 may include a resilient sealingmember.

In embodiments in which an environment of a substrate carrier 100, 200is evacuated to a predetermined vacuum level after loading, the sealedenvironment 414 at a load lock chamber 404 may be evacuated to asubstantially similar vacuum level before a door of the substratecarrier is opened. Optionally, the vacuum level of the carrier may bechanged to be substantially equal to a vacuum level of the sealedenvironment. Likewise, in embodiments in which a substrate carrier 100,200 contains an inert gas, the sealed environment 414 at a load lockchamber 404 may be filled with a substantially similar inert gas (e.g.,via one or more pump-purge cycle(s)) before a door of the substratecarrier is opened.

The foregoing description discloses only exemplary embodiments of theinvention. Modifications of the above disclosed apparatus and methodswhich fall within the scope of the invention will be readily apparent tothose of ordinary skill in the art.

Accordingly, while the present invention has been disclosed inconnection with exemplary embodiments thereof, it should be understoodthat other embodiments may fall within the spirit and scope of theinvention, as defined by the following claims

What is claimed is:
 1. A semiconductor processing system comprising: asecond component forming a second chamber, wherein: a door is configuredto create a second sealed environment in the second chamber; the secondsealed environment in the second chamber is at a second state prior tothe door being opened; a load port structure is disposed between thesecond component and a first component the load port structure comprisesa plurality of walls disposed around an opening of the load portstructure; the load port structure is separate from the first componentand the second component; a plurality of substrates are to betransferred through the opening of the load port structure between thesecond chamber formed by the second component and a first chamber formedby the first component subsequent to the door being opened; the firstcomponent forms the first chamber with a first sealed environment at afirst state within the first chamber; a third component is to change thefirst state of the first sealed environment within the first chamber tocause the first state to be substantially similar to the second state ofthe second sealed environment within the second chamber before the doorbetween the first sealed environment and the second sealed environmentis opened; the second sealed environment is at the second state prior tochanging of the first state of the first sealed environment to besubstantially similar to the second state; and the first state beingsubstantially similar to the second state comprises one or more of: afirst temperature associated with the first chamber varying from asecond temperature associated with the second chamber by up to 20percent; a first absolute pressure associated with the first chambervarying from a second absolute pressure associated with the secondchamber by up to 10 percent; or first molar percentage of each gas of afirst gas mixture in the first chamber varying from a second molarpercentage of each gas of a second gas mixture in the second chamber byup to 5 percent.
 2. The semiconductor processing system of claim 1,wherein the first component is a substrate carrier and the secondcomponent is a factory interface.
 3. The semiconductor processing systemof claim 1, wherein the first state of the first sealed environment isto be changed to be substantially similar to the second state of thesecond sealed environment via evacuating the first chamber to a firstvacuum level that is substantially similar to a second vacuum level ofthe second chamber.
 4. The semiconductor processing system of claim 1,wherein the first gas mixture and the second gas mixture comprise one ormore of nitrogen or argon.
 5. The semiconductor processing system ofclaim 1, wherein the first state of the first sealed environment is tobe changed to be substantially similar to the second state of the secondsealed environment subsequent to coupling of the first component and thesecond component.
 6. The semiconductor processing system of claim 1,wherein the first component comprises the door that creates the firstsealed environment, wherein the first component mounts to the secondcomponent, and wherein the second sealed environment is created aroundat least the door of the first component.
 7. The semiconductorprocessing system of claim 1, wherein the second component is asubstrate carrier and the first component is a factory interface.
 8. Thesemiconductor processing system of claim 1, wherein the second componentcomprises the door that creates the second sealed environment, whereinthe second component mounts to the first component, and wherein thefirst sealed environment is created around at least the door of thesecond component.
 9. The semiconductor processing system of claim 1,wherein a resilient sealing member is attached to a first surface of theload port structure around the opening of the load port structure,wherein the resilient sealing member is configured to form a sealbetween the load port structure and the second component.
 10. A methodcomprising: determining that a first state of a first sealed environmentwithin a first chamber formed by a first component of a semiconductorprocessing system is to be changed to be substantially similar to asecond state of a second sealed environment within a second chamberformed by a second component of the semiconductor processing system,wherein a door is configured to create the second sealed environment inthe second chamber, wherein the second sealed environment in the secondchamber is at the second state prior to the door being opened, wherein aload port structure is disposed between the second component and thefirst component, wherein the load port structure comprises a pluralityof walls disposed around an opening of the load port structure, whereinthe load port structure is separate from the first component and thesecond component, and wherein a plurality of substrates are to betransferred through the opening of the load port structure between thesecond chamber formed by the second component and the first chamberformed by the first component subsequent to the door being opened; andcausing the first state of the first sealed environment within the firstchamber to be changed to be substantially similar to the second state ofthe second sealed environment within the second chamber before the doorbetween the first sealed environment and the second sealed environmentis opened, wherein the second sealed environment is at the second stateprior to the causing of the first state of the first sealed environmentto be changed to be substantially similar to the second state, whereinthe first state being substantially similar to the second statecomprises one or more of: a first temperature associated with the firstchamber varying from a second temperature associated with the secondchamber by up to 20 percent; a first absolute pressure associated withthe first chamber varying from a second absolute pressure associatedwith the second chamber by up to 10 percent; or first molar percentageof each gas of a first gas mixture in the first chamber varying from asecond molar percentage of each gas of a second gas mixture in thesecond chamber by up to 5 percent.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein:the first component is a substrate carrier and the second component is afactory interface; or the second component is the substrate carrier andthe first component is the factory interface.
 12. The method of claim10, wherein the causing of the first state of the first sealedenvironment to be changed to be substantially similar to the secondstate of the second sealed environment is via evacuating the firstchamber to a first vacuum level that is substantially similar to asecond vacuum level of the second chamber.
 13. The method of claim 10,wherein the first gas mixture and the second gas mixture comprise one ormore of nitrogen or argon.
 14. The method of claim 10, wherein thedetermining that the first state of the first sealed environment withinthe first chamber is to be changed to be substantially similar to thesecond state of the second sealed environment within the second chambercomprises determining that the door that separates the first chamber ofthe first component and the second chamber of the second component is tobe opened.
 15. The method of claim 10, wherein the causing of the firststate of the first sealed environment within the first chamber to bechanged to be substantially similar to the second state of the secondsealed environment within the second chamber is subsequent to couplingof the first component and the second component.
 16. The method of claim10, wherein: the first component comprises the door that creates thefirst sealed environment, the first component mounts to the secondcomponent, and the second sealed environment is created around at leastthe door of the first component; or the second component comprises thedoor that creates the second sealed environment, the second componentmounts to the first component, and the first sealed environment iscreated around at least the door of the second component.
 17. A firstsystem component of a semiconductor processing system, the first systemcomponent comprising: a body forming a first chamber, wherein: a door isconfigured to form a first sealed environment within the first chamber;a load port structure is disposed between the first system component anda second system component; the load port structure comprises a pluralityof walls disposed around an opening of the load port structure; the loadport structure is separate from the first system component and thesecond system component; a plurality of substrates are to be transferredthrough the opening of the load port structure between a second chamberformed by the second system component and the first chamber formed bythe first system component subsequent to the door being opened; a firststate of the first sealed environment within the first chamber and asecond state of a second sealed environment within the second chamberbeing substantially similar to each other comprises one or more of: afirst temperature associated with the first chamber varying from asecond temperature associated with the second chamber by up to 20percent; a first absolute pressure associated with the first chambervarying from a second absolute pressure associated with the secondchamber by up to 10 percent; or first molar percentage of each gas of afirst gas mixture in the first chamber varying from a second molarpercentage of each gas of a second gas mixture in the second chamber byup to 5 percent, wherein: the first state of the first sealedenvironment within the first chamber is to be changed to besubstantially similar to the second state of the second sealedenvironment within the second chamber before the door between the firstsealed environment and the second sealed environment is opened, thesecond sealed environment being at the second state prior to changing ofthe first state of the first sealed environment to be substantiallysimilar to the second state; or the second state of the second sealedenvironment within the second chamber is to be changed to besubstantially similar to the first state of the first sealed environmentwithin the first chamber before the door between the first sealedenvironment and the second sealed environment is opened, the firstsealed environment being at the first state prior to changing of thesecond state of the second sealed environment to be substantiallysimilar to the first state.
 18. The first system component of claim 17,wherein: the first system component is a substrate carrier and thesecond system component is a factory interface; or the second systemcomponent is the substrate carrier and the first system component is thefactory interface.
 19. The first system component of claim 17, whereinthe first gas mixture and the second gas mixture comprise one or more ofnitrogen or argon.
 20. The first system component of claim 17 furthercomprising the door that creates the first sealed environment, the firstsystem component mounts to the second system component, and the secondsealed environment is created around at least the door of the firstsystem component.